Suffolk Section 3rd Autumn Jaunt - 26 October 2003

Paul Efreme

Last year's event was
re-arranged due to severe storms, but the third Autumn Jaunt
attracted much better weather this year, with a very good turnout
of eighteen riders. We all assembled at Bourne Vale Sports
Club by 10:30 and, along with the usual Anglian regiment, other
welcome members attended. Ralph Richardson (RM8) and Alex
Lees (RM9) came across from Bedfordshire, with Dave Selby and Jim
Betteridge (cycle) coming up from East London. Young Martin
Gates turned up for his maiden run, with his dad acting as
shotgun. The start was delayed for 15 minutes as one of the
riders had mislaid his keys, until David Evans came to the rescue
and found them. Along with Steve Cobb, he suggested the
hapless rider was a teaser, or something like that.

We finally departed, with organiser Pete Green (Wisp) taking
the controls. He was closely shadowed by his son Neal
(Wisp). The rest of us formed an orderly queue
behind. Mark Daniels's superb Lynx was running very well in
the dry conditions, as was yours truly's Flandria "hill
climber". Neil Morley's M40 and Terry Keable's RM6 were
also running well. About three miles from the pub stop Pete
Green and his followers lost contact with the rest of us, and it
was then up to Steve Gleed to pilot us to his local, the
Carrier's Arms in East Bergholt. The organiser and
his companions arrived ten minutes later, having twice got lost
as I understand...

David Whatling then appeared, having experienced fuel
starvation (to his bike). Shortly afterwards, the final
rider, Dave Selby, arrived on his Cyclemaster. The pub
landlady was asked to select her favourite bike while we were
enjoying a tasty lunch. Would the winner be David Evans's
immaculate MS50D, Mark Daniels's outstanding Lynx or your
reporter's dazzling Flandria? No, the recipient turned out
to be Laurence Coates's... er... Mobylette! The landlady
told me she chose the Moby having never before seen so little
metal surrounded by so much corrosion!

At the start of the return leg, Messieurs Evans, Cobb and
Colley zoomed out of their respective Puch MS/VS bikes, being
closely followed by Pete Smith's rapid New Hudson. Martin
Gates's little Garelli also was going well, while the Bedford
lads were jockeying for position on their Raleighs, sometimes
exceeding 25mph! By 2pm we had all arrived safely back at
the start, following a terrific run in excellent weather.
Thanks Pete for a very enjoyable day.